10.30.2012

Soulmatefood part II: so, that's finished...

So, I wouldn't say that the cleanse failed because I really didn't have any full solid meals besides the juices for all five days. However, it is true that I found it impossible to stay on the cleanse completely. The benefit of a juice cleanse, however, is that it takes you away from five days of normal eating and drinking, making it starkly clear what you might want to change about your usual eating and drinking habits.

More after the jump!

What was difficult about the cleanse:

A) Haphazard and Active Schedule

It was hard to get through the first three days because of my hectic schedule. It wasn't the easiest subsisting on just fruit (and very few vegetables - only carrot and beetroot) either, when I tend to brisk-walk from place to place carrying heavy things, and I don't take any transport around at all (I live at most 20 minutes from everywhere I needed to be this week). Additionally, after going out dancing for three hours on the night of Day 2, I really wanted some hot vegetable sustenance the next morning (the soup).

However, to make my schedule any less haphazard is almost impossible due to the nature of a university student's life.

B) Eating Habits

Firstly, like any Asian I know, I have a habit of snacking, although most of it is on "healthy" snacks from providers like Graze. Trying not to was impossible on Day 1, although I curbed that for the rest of the cleanse.

Secondly, I am terrible at keeping mealtimes and the number of meals I take constant - this is partially due to my schedule, which doesn't require me to wake up or go to bed at the same time everyday, and partially due to the fact I tend not to eat until I'm hungry. When I'm busy, I don't really feel that hungry because I forget the hunger. This explains why I kept missing Juice 6, and why on Day 3, I had only consumed 3.5 juices by 10pm.

I do have to work on setting a certain time to wake up and go to bed, at least for the majority of each week. And remember - 6 consistent mealtimes a day.

C) Ingredients

What I didn't like about the cleanse the most was the fruit content - I was dying for some spinach, tomato and cucumber by Day 2, hence the vegetable soup consumption on Day 2 and 3 in lieu of a Juice 5 and some Juice 3. Although I'm known more for my baked cakes, cookies and pastries, I like savoury as much as sweet.

Taste-wise, having a constant sugary taste from the six juices all day actually felt a little unhealthy. I brushed my teeth a couple more times daily than usual, even when I did rinse my mouth after each juice.

If you'd like to know what I thought about the juice menu, here's my review:

Juice 1 - Detox Breakfast: Carrot, Orange, Ginger and Superfoods

Honestly, this was my favourite - not sure if it's because I'm terribly thirsty when I wake up but I really loved how light this juice is because it's been strained at least a few times to produce a nice thin liquid. Helps that I'm addicted to ginger too, although you can't really make out a distinctively strong dose of it.

Juice 2 - Vitality: Pineapple, Banana and Coconut

After the second day of "Vitality", I was feeling sick of coconut. Have never liked coconut save for the fresh kind. This juice is also overly sweet thanks to the pineapple and banana.

Juice 3 - Berry Active: Antioxidant Blend, Cherries and Mixed Berries

Thick and tangy, perfect for berry lovers. What I liked doing was blending this with some ice for crunch (also, this meant I had something to chew on...).

Juice 4 - Earth: Apple, Beetroot and Blackcurrant

Really simple - very similar to Juice 3, sweet and tangy.

Juice 5 - Tropical: Orange, Mango and Passionfruit

Two of my absolute favourite fruits are mango and passionfruit, so it was easy to down this. I felt like I was drinking Innocent's mangoes and passionfruit smoothie, which my flatmate and I consumed a carton of nearly every week last year.

Juice 6 - Nutrilicious: Strawberry, Banana, Grape and Orange

Oddly enough, this tasted like a breakfast smoothie, with an incredibly oat-y taste.